Cracked Mask
by DyinggFlower
Summary: Slade/Terra themed. Rated M for strong sexual, psychological, and homocidal content. - - Slade leaves his past behind and enters Gotham City with a new name and agenda. But what happens when a blonde trainwreck named Harley Quinn comes into the picture? And why does she remind him of a girl he doesn't want to remember?


**Disclaimer: I do not own KOOL cigarettes, The Batman franchise, Teen Titans, DC, or any of it's affiliates.**

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"Perfect. Now for an alias." The masked assassin smirked as his gloved fingers fluctuated across the keyboard. Only the bluish glare from the widescreen monitor shedded light in what would soon be his former hideout. His ventures in Jump City would soon be no more. As he pressed the enter key, a faint chuckle sounded from his lips. Hacking into government websites were as easy as he remembered. A pending identification card appeared onto the screen, read as the information he personally entered into the government database.

Name: Wilcox, Seth  
D.O.B. 12/14/74  
HGHT; 6'03"  
WGHT; 210 lbs….

'Click'  
o …

Just like that, and his 'legal' documents were printed out. Gotham City was the next victim of his pursuit. But, oh. Was it a gamble. Slade knew all too well of Robin's 'father figure' that resided in Gotham— Even so, that caped crusader knew nothing of his background on paper.

According to previous titan database records he phishered, Robin hadn't even bothered to send any of Slade's criminal file to the bat. With a cleared background check and a new codename, the collected killer had nothing to worry about for now. As for the new code name…

"Deathstroke. That has a nice ring to it." Slade said to himself as he envisioned his plots of destruction Gotham City would soon experience. He swiftly tossed an explosive disc that clung onto the monitor, walking away when it started to beep continuously.

The echo of his footsteps sounded throughout the disheveled base after his documents were obtained. The explosion of his own vandalism from behind him had went blissfully ignored as the masked assassin headed to the flight deck. Now with computer parts all over the ground, this rubble filled base was never again to be occupied.

How he couldn't wait to leave this place. Staying much longer would only remind him of the setbacks those insolent titans caused him. With a file in grip, he stepped the aircraft's platform and bid silent farewell to his former life. Setting his advanced aircraft on autopilot, Slade paced around the large platform. Behind the half bronze masked lied his gaze upon the fleeting sights of skyscrapers that reflected against the window.

Never again would he have to deal with those pestering titans. Ironically, they were child's play compared to what the assassin faced in the past. It was merely Robin's obsession that lead to the assassin's defeat. Without him, the titans would be nothing related to a threat in his plans. But if it weren't for them… he wouldn't have recruited… her.

No. His superior intelligence did not allow him to reflect on counterproductive memories, as they were completely irrelevant. Plans of his ventures were the only thing that occupied his thoughts. He had only one goal now; Gotham would soon be his for the taking. This Slade would make sure of.

—

The clanks of champagne glasses chimed with the low key ambiance of the upperclass lounge Slade enjoyed in a timely fashion to celebrate his ventures to come.

Publicly, he was now "Seth", lacking the steel assassin attire along with the mask that usually concealed his true identity. There was no need for either one. The suit and collared undershirt scented of musky but modest cologne.

His face was collected and unreadable, shaved clean as he had kept it when the mask was present. Wearing normal clothing was extremely light on his body compared to the extra weight of armor he was used to running around in. The dark haired assassin sat back against the leather booth he occupied alone, sipping gingerly to the champagne in hand.

This was more than a self celebration. Slade was also here in terms of 'business' as he would call it if he worked for the agency. The assassin that makes the most profit makes sure he finds his target unscathed by the competition. To do so would be to eliminate them. From research, Slade knew of the villains that dared to call themselves a danger to this crime infested city.

Penguin, Two Face, Riddler, Joker..

Those were a few of the names of Gotham's most wanted criminals that were still at large, and one of them spends their free time at this very establishment. With his database equipped vision, the latest mugshot of the recently escaped 'Penguin' showed on the tiny inverted screen in his eye socket.

With legs spread apart and his eye scanning the room, Slade waited patiently for the sitting duck to perch. In the meantime, It was quite troublesome to deal with the many women that approached him as the night trailed on. Maybe it was his black silk eyepatch that added that sense of appeal women were apparently drawn to, or the way his thick brunette locks were only slightly gelled back. With coldness of ice, Slade had dismissed them with a wave of his hand and an averted gaze. They would get in the way of his objective.

12:48AM; Now with only servers pacing the floor, it was only a matter of time that the club's 'VIP' guest would make his way to his final hours.

As if on que, the VIP Penguin arrived with his entourage. Quite the number of people but considering his short, stocky stature Slade knew he needed the protection. Four bodyguards in suits sat on every corner of the sectional leather women of Japanese descent wore matching red gowns. Strangely masquerade-like masks concealed half of their faces. They each sat on both sides of Penguin, remaining ominously still as he wrapped his short arms around both of them.

With a suit and top hat, Penguin swung his cane in rythmatic motion as his obnoxious, raspy voice called out to a hostess nearby.

"Hey, bubbles! Bring me the usual! Kools! Don't forget the cigarette holder this time! I wanna feel fancy." The plump villain said through a grin while the blonde hostess in pigtails soon scurried over with a pack of cigarettes and its essentials.

He was a regular here, Slade took note of that. How the police didn't know only bettered the situation. Cobblepot seemed to in wealth from what Slade had researched, so paying off the employees was an easy feat for the obnoxious villain. This could be problematic. The guest list would narrow down to him if he kills Penguin here. No matter. Slade had calculated a plan in seconds as he scanned his surroundings.

The rich nuisance was a pathetic excuse of a villain, strolling around throwing his inheritance on social events rather than taking over the city. Slade had millions saved but with Penguin possessing wealth since birth, he had plenty of time to make his mark in Gotham. Slade estimated that Penguin was in his late fifties, having nothing to show for his codename but the simple robberies he pulled off.

"Nothing more than a petty thief. He will be one worth disposing of." Slade though to himself as he glared at the bodyguards that had handguns secured to their jacket pockets. How typical of common pawns.

They would be the least of his problem. Slade could immediately read the signs of martial arts that the accompanying women surprisingly possessed. They wouldn't be difficult, but distracting. To avoid suspicion, Slade changed vintage points, shifting to sit at the bar that had a better view of the entire layout. Ordering another champagne, he crossed his legs, growling lowly. Cooly, he contained his urge to eliminate this minor threat of his plans. After all, a collected assassin always benefited from their patience later.

As if to distract him from his objective, the same bubbly hostess from before nearly stumbled at the sight of the well dressed "Seth", losing grip of the platter that contained his drink and appetizer.

"Ah!"

With one swift motion, Slade caught the tray milliseconds before it could tilt onto the floor, catching the plate of caviar and swiftly gripping to the champagne glass that slammed against the tray in his grip. He glared at the busty blonde who only stared at him with her mouth agape. Blue eyes fluttered as her rouge lips pursed into a bashful smile.

"Sawrry sir! I, uh.. musta had my boots untied!" The pigtail hostess said with a giggle.

The dark haired assassin placed the tray on the granite counter and turned to face her with his arms crossed. He had already noticed her footwear lacked laces of any kind, being that they were clunky, bucked boots that a teenage girl going through some sort of punk phase would wear.

If it weren't for her annoying voice and child-like demeanor, one would find the blonde hostess visually attractive. In terms of chest, her full breasts made the white collared shirt she wore scream if it could talk. Quite a distraction indeed, but only for about three seconds until Slade kept watch on his prey again, shifting his stool to turn his back to her.

"Kumiko! Riko! This is my first night on the town since I escaped.. I don't want nothin ruini-…" Penguin trailed on from the distance.

"H-hey! I said I was sawwry! Can I get yah somethin' else?" The bubbly hostess seemed to dislike how Slade's attention averted so quickly.

It was late, and the gold chandeliers dimmed to accompany the swanky casino-lile music that played from the speakers. Point is, its dark! With a hand on her hip, she wondered what he could be looking at in a dim room like this.

Her attention seeking tone slightly irritated Slade's senses as he struggled to hear the last thing his keen hearing picked up on. Almost passive aggressively, he requested she'd bring him three of their most expensive wine bottles. That should stall her from being any more of a nuisance for now.

"But those bottles weigh like a million pounds! Dang it!" The blonde hostess said as she walked away from the mysterious guest.

Her clunky boots clacked against the marble as she scurried off to the freezer where the wine was stored. One of her supervisors exited the kitchen and bumped into her.

"Harleen! If you're serving wine, make sure you use the food cart this time!"

"Yeah, yeah. Shut ya trap…" Harley rolled her eyes at her full name.

Professionally, it didn't even sound right. Oh well. She skipped off into the freezer room without another word with her supervisor. If she didn't have such a bouncy wrack, he would've fired her by now.

With the twiddle of her fingers, she wasn't intimidated by the long row of wine bottles she had to choose from. The French and German wines were always the priciest, so she grabbed three of the top quality bottles that were exact in size. She placed them onto the car and hummed a random melody that came to mind. Something about that mystery man made her feel something she hasn't felt since… he who shouldn't be named! Harley thought, sighing as she strolled the cart the freezer and onto the marble. She nearly flinched when she was only a few feet away from Mr. Cobblepot's booth. Penguin, rather. She hated how pushy he was and for Pete's sake her name wasn't Bubbles! At least he didn't recognize her.. With much more speed this time, Harley placed a fresh wine glass on counter a few inches away from Slade as she poured the most expensive wine into it.

"Here ya go." Harley said politely.

"Thank you. That will be all."Slade said as he gripped to the wine glass, taking a sip as if to stall for time.

He rose to his feet for a moment, picking up the unoccupied wineglass that rested on Harley's cart. She gazed up at the mysterious man with a puzzled expression.

"I assume that gentleman over there ordered the same thing? He has good taste." Slade smirked when he was answered with a nod, gently placing the glass of wine back where it was.

Harley observed him with curious blue eyes, watching him sip to his drink gingerly in silence. He cleared his throat in annoyance at her gawking so she bashfully walked away, exhaling her breath as she strolled over to serve Cobblepot and his guests the wine they ordered. Soon enough, Harley was excused for her break. Being that Slade, Cobblepot's party, and maybe three other people remained there was no one left to serve for a while.

The blonde couldn't help but think about the mysterious man she served tonight. A somber sigh escaped her lips when she recalled how oblivious he was to her. Maybe he was married for all she knew. Either way, she needed to clear her head. These overnight shifts looked good for her parole meetings so she had to duke it out. Loosening a few buttons, her abundant cleavage line could breathe again. The lounge would close in about an hour so this break time was much deserved. Scurrying out the back door, Harley placed a cigarette to her lips and rummaged through her pocket for a lighter.

Doing her full time in prison after taking the fall for Joker four years ago oddly rehabilitated her. He never came to bust her out like he promised so four years in the slammer brought back a fraction of sanity the madman took from her. This job and her decent apartment was all she had now. Gosh only knows where her ex lover could be, but after four years Harley didn't bother thinking he'd track her down at this point. Her back met the brick wall behind her as she exhaled the cancer stick that always made her cough. Picking up the habit came natural to working in the restaurant business. As amateurish as she looked, it was the only thing that soothed her.

But that wouldn't last too long..

Suddenly, a man in a ski mask appeared out of no where, holding a blade to her throat when she dropped her cigarette.

"Ah dang it! Where's bats when ya need em?" Harley said in defeat as her back pressed hard against the alley brick wall.

"Shut the fuck up. If you wanna live you'll start taking off your clothes, bitch."

Oh, its been too long since she endured verbal abuse. Four years to be exact. Her blue eyes darted to the door as her body slowly caught up, running towards it but to no avail. The man gripped her by a long pigtail and tugged her back. With all she could muster, Harley screamed. A scream that could be heard from outside the lounge. The commotion got Penguin's attention as he commanded his entourage to leave with him. He didn't want to risk being around when the cops came. Lownlevel crime or not he needed to vanish from sight.

"Damn!" Slade thought as he watched Penguin's entourage carry him out of the lounge. He had to ambush them, but needed to do it undetected.

He ran towards the backdoor where the stairs to the roof were adjacent to, but the bubbly blonde's screams only grew louder.

As much as he wouldn't have cared, her scream sounded an awful lot like…

"SOMEONE, HELP ME!"

Slade growled impatiently as he pulled out his revolver and shot the ceiling a few times, knowing it would ward off the predator from its loud bang. Without missing a beat, the assassin leaped from ledge to ledge before finally reaching the roof. Cobblepot had already slammed his limousine door shut and sped off. He was too late.

"Fuck." The assassin said aloud as he shifted his gun back into its holster. Soon enough, he hurried down the stairs. The collar of his shirt was wrinkled while his dark brown locks messily ruffled with the wind. When he reached the ground floor, he watched the girl that hugged to her knees, sobbing lowly in the hallway with her blouse slightly torn open. It was his fault that he hesitated. This was his first error in years. This stupid girl had to get in his way…

"H-he's gone now… was that you who shot the gun?"

Harley asked as she looked up at the man in the distance.

The light blinked on and off due to the bullet that scraped it's circuits. On and off, the nearly broken bulb dangled from the ceiling and buzzed faintly. Slade stood where he was, nodding with no hint of emotion translatable on his face.

This girl in messy pigtails trembled where she sat. She looked broken. Vulnerable. Lost.—Just as his former apprentices had been when their moment of weakness was his to make use of.

"Please. Don't leave me alone." Harley whispered, watching the assassin walk towards her at his own pace, extending a hand to help her to stand. With the eyeliner now absent, her naked blue eyes were too familiar to ignore.

He motioned her to follow and they disappeared into the darkness. This girl was a basically witness now. He would have to make sure she wouldn't become a liability to his conquest.

TO BE CONTINUED

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**A/N: Terra will appear in the chapters to come!**

**Review if you want more! I have chapters on the way! **

**Keep me motivated! xoxo**


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